Don’t wait until the last minute. If you were sexually abused as a Boy Scout, you need to retain an attorney now. We’re available to consult with you confidentially and at no cost to you about your BSA claim.
Prior to severing its ties with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), on January 1, 2020, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) was a major sponsoring group for BSA. Before divorcing itself from BSA, more than 400,000 boys from LDS were members of the BSA. Now, BSA is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, and pursuant to allegations of sexual abuse by LDS scout leaders and volunteers, the insurer of LDS has paid $250 million into a compensation trust fund for victims of sexual abuse. The LDS isn’t alone. The United Methodist Church (UMC), another major sponsoring group for BSA, is involved in the bankruptcy case and in negotiations as a result of concern for liability of UMC churches.
The UMC’s Association with BSA is Under Consideration
The UMC continues to maintain its ties with the BSA from thousands of churches scattered across the United States. Sexual abuse has been alleged at some of those churches. No settlement agreement has been reached at this point in time, and the bankruptcy case continues on. To date, a sum of about $1.9 billion has been deposited into a victim’s compensation account. The latest version of a proposed reorganization solution provides a way for churches and other sponsoring civil groups to be released from liability in return for assignment of their insurance rights or a significant cash contribution to the victim compensation fund. That is under consideration, but it has not been approved by the bankruptcy court. Various alternatives relative to the UMC’s association with the BSA are being considered the church.
The Statute of Limitations has Been Lengthened
It’s not just troop leaders, volunteers or sponsoring churches that can be held liable in BSA sex abuse cases. Schools, civic organizations and other sponsors can also be held liable. On January 1, 2020, new legislation took effect in California that extended the statute of limitations in childhood sex abuse cases to 22 years after a victim reaches their 18th birthday. That makes the cutoff date for filing such cases a victim’s 40th birthday. Some exceptions to this general rule in that operate in favor of victims exist.
The Victim “Lookback Window”
Along with the extension of the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims, California also opened a three-year “lookback window” for cases that were barred by the previous statute of limitations. The three-year clock began running on January 1, 2020, so claimants who were previously barred by time have until January 1, 2023 to make their legal filings. That’s when the “lookback window” closes, so any BSA sex abuse claims or lawsuits filed after January 1, 2023 are likely to be barred by the statute of limitations.
Contact a Southern California Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today.
Don’t wait until the last minute. If you were sexually abused as a Boy Scout, you need to retain an attorney now. We’re available to consult with you confidentially and at no cost to you about your BSA claim. Contact us at the Thousand Oaks law firm of Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC. Don’t be apprehensive about protecting and preserving your rights. We want to help you obtain the justice and compensation that you’ve deserved for so long. Remember that the “lookback window” closes on January 1, 2023.